


Mr and Mrs Flynn

by typewriterandtea



Category: Major Crimes (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-11 07:37:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4426877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typewriterandtea/pseuds/typewriterandtea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After two wealthy couples are murdered, Sharon and Andy are sent undercover to find their killer. Masquerading as a married couple forces both of them to face their feelings for each other. What happens when they become the killer's next target?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mr + Mrs Flynn / Chapter One

Undercover work was something that Sharon Raydor rarely undertook. With the exception of the time that they dealt with the 'mysterious' death of a dog who had inherited a wealth worth several million dollars.

She wasn't sure how she had managed to let Taylor talk her into this. In fact, she wasn't sure if he had even given her a choice in the matter.

The murder board was covered with the photos of two middle age couples; only connected by their involvement in the oil industry, each with an immense wealth. The first couple had been found poisoned in their hotel room, the second dead in their Range Rover in an underground garage with the engine left running.

They had decided that the best way to find out who the killer was, would be to send two of the team undercover with a similar background as their four murder victims.

Sharon and Andy had pulled the short straw. At least, that's how Sharon viewed it, though she was sure that Andy was jumping for joy at the prospect of going undercover - even more so as her husband.

Taylor stood in the center of the room, his back to the murder board as he addressed Sharon and Andy. "You'll check in at eleven am" He explained, handing over the printed hotel reservation information to Sharon.

"The first dinner of the conference is tonight; you should find some...suitable attire in your suite when you arrive" Taylor announced, folding up the sleeve of his shirt as he adjusted his cuff links. If Sharon and Andy were going undercover as the owners of an oil company, then they needed to look the party. As well dressed as Sharon was, he doubted she had a collection of ball gowns lying around her closet.

"We'll have SIS watching the building, Buzz and Tao will be in the surveillance van two blocks away" Amy explained, nodding her head towards Lieutenant Cooper, who stood from his seat at one of the spare desks before stopping beside the woman. "We'll have people inside and outside the building, we'll make contact with you both at least three times a day" He assured them, confident that they had enough SIS officers inside the hotel to keep both a close eye on the couple and any potential suspects.

Sharon nodded her head, her eyes glancing over the booking reservation while Buzz handed the couple their encrypted cell phones. "We'll communicate with you both through these phones" He informed them, having pre-programed their numbers into the phones. "Thanks" Andy acknowledged the man with a nod of his head as he examined the phone.

"And I have the delightful pleasure of driving our, oh so happy, couple to their hotel" Provenza declared, his voice laced with his usual dose of sarcasm. Andy resisted the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes at the man's behavior, remembering exactly how unimpressed the Lieutenant was at their undercover assignment. Provenza scooped up the keys to the newly rented Mercedes S-Class, having dressed himself in his best Sunday suit to drive the couple to the Beverly Hills Hotel. Trust him to be left with the role of chauffeur.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah - you're just jealous that it ain't you undercover" Andy snapped back, shaking his head as he rested his hand down on the small of Sharon's back, guiding her towards the door. Provenza walked out behind them, tutting under his breath as he left the murder room.

"Good luck!" Amy called, folding her arms after she waved the pair away, waiting for the door to shut behind them before she turned to Tao. "Put an extra ten dollars on my bet" She remarked quietly, earning a smile from Mike as the man opened the top drawer of his desk to locate his betting book, updating Amy's bet on the odds of Sharon and Andy getting together - officially. Provenza had suggested it over a year ago, when the team went out for drinks at the bar while Andy took Sharon to his daughter's wedding. He had been on his third beer by then of course, but the idea had stuck ever since.

The journey from their office to the Beverly Hills Hotel was a short and silent one. Provenza listened to the music playing from the default channel on the radio while Andy fooled around with his new phone, muttering under his breath about his dissatisfaction with modern technology. Sharon contented herself with staring out the window at the passing world. She had come face to face with the disturbing clarity of their relationship just before Christmas, and now, before either of them could properly figure their relationship out, they were expected to act like a married couple in an undercover investigation.

As the car pulled up outside the hotel, Provenza killed the engine before turning to look behind him at the couple in the back seat. Those idiots. "I'll keep an eye on the kid" Provenza promised, knowing that leaving Rusty alone, especially with Phillip Stroh at large, was the last thing that Sharon wanted to do. "Thank you" Sharon leaned forward to squeeze the man's shoulder, smiling at him softly before she opened the back passenger door as the concierge stepped forward to help her take their luggage out of the boot of the car. "Keep an eye on the Mrs, Flynn!" Provenza warned his friend as he started the engine up again. Andy shook his head and followed Sharon's lead, leaving the car as the concierge carried their bags into the hotel.

Walking up the steps into the hotel, they were greeted by a member of the bar staff, carrying a sterling silver tray with half a dozen crystal champagne flutes and another four with orange juice. "I could get used to this" Sharon warned him, taking the champagne while Andy took the orange juice, even if she intended to take no more than a sip of it. She needed to keep a straight and clear head. "Well, you deserve to treated like a Queen" Andy reminded her, knowing that if he could, he would spending every penny he had giving her the things she wanted in life. She had spent so much time alone, paying for the mistakes her good for nothing ex-husband had made. It was time that someone treated her to the finer things in life; she had deserved that much at least. "I'm going to hold you to that one" Sharon chuckled as she walked across the lobby, already spotting the signs for their conference dotted throughout the room.

"May I help you?" The bubbly blonde behind the marble counter asked as she stood up from her seat. "Yes, we're here for the 'Oil and Gas Conference' - the name's Flynn" Andy explained while Sharon placed their reservation confirmation onto the counter top as the hotel employee typed in their information to her computer. "Ah yes, Mr and Mrs Flynn. You're booked into the Sunset Suite" She revealed, handing over two sets of their room key, as well as the program for their conference. Andy couldn't deny the unfaltering smirk that came to his lips at the reference to 'Mr and Mrs Flynn', his facial expression was quickly caught by Sharon, who gave the employee a pleasant smile as she took the items from the young woman. "The concierge will bring your bags down in the next few minutes. I hope you both enjoy your stay" She concluded, before returning back to her seat as the couple headed off in search of their suite.

"I think it's just down here" Sharon admitted, pointing to the corridor on their right, leading the way through the well decorated hallways in search of their suite, coming to a stop at the bottom of the corridor when they arrived at the white, oak double doors with 'Sunset Suite' embossed onto the right door in a gold plaque. Pressing the room key down into the slot, she waited for the light to turn green before she opened the door.

Their matching gold bands caught the dim sunlight that remained as the day turned to night. Sharon found herself nervously twisting the ring on her finger. She had stopped wearing her wedding ring once she and Jack had separated over two decades ago. It felt strange - almost a little surreal - to be wearing one again.

"I could get used to this" Andy echoed Sharon's earlier words, letting his eyes soak up the luxurious atmosphere of their suite. The room had a vintage feel to it, the furniture all in plush gold and beige tones, set off by the luster oak edging. The spacious living area looked out onto a patio overlooking the garden, where an emerald lounging chair sat waiting to be used by the room's occupants. A private bathroom sat off to the right, with a separate room directly across from it housing a king size bed.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Andy asked, looking around in awe at the suite. The programs for 'The Oil and Gas Industry Conference' lay abandoned on the writing table as Sharon sat her drink down on top of the mini bar. "Yeah, pretty amazing" Sharon replied, looking out at the sunset in the distance.

This would certainly be an interesting affair.


	2. Chapter 2

Mr and Mrs Flynn | Chapter Two

The steam of the shower offered Sharon a welcomed sanctuary from her growing problems.

The thin line between a professional relationship with Andy and something more, something so strong it could be labeled with a word that held the weight of the world in it - love - had disappeared in the sand months ago.

Now, Sharon struggled to see where their relationship was.

They were comfortable. Their behavior boarder lined that of a married couple; a real married couple and not the one they were masquerading as. Truth be told, Andy had become as much of a constant in her life as Rusty was.

When Jack showed up, acting as the attorney for one of their suspects, Andy had told her that she didn't have to deal with him. Yet, she had to deal with her past every day. She couldn't deny the fact that it was her relationship with Jack that was preventing her from dwelling further into her friendship with Andy.

Feeling the water pounding against her back, Sharon leaned her head against the marble tiles of the shower. She deserved some happiness in her life, someone to have and to hold. What would happen if it all fell apart? He was her subordinate officer, working together would be impossible if they suffered an irreconcilable break up.

Turning the water off, halting the shower of blistering water in its chamber, Sharon cut off her train of thought before it could go any further.

She was most certainly not going to contemplate the pros and cons of a relationship with Andy Flynn while in the showering. Absolutely not. 

Her bare feet pattered across the wooden floor, her hands reaching out for the garment bag that was stretched across the four poster king sized bed. She guessed that if she was meant to be a multimillionaire, then she would need to at least dress like one.

 

Andy had dressed himself in the smart looking Armani suit while Sharon was in the shower, taking his alone time to raid the mini-bar of its juice selection - especially because it was on Taylor's tab and not his own - and flick through the background report that SIS had put together for them.

For the purpose of their investigation, he would have to put on the facade that it was he who had an inherited wealth that was used to accumulate an extensive portfolio of oil in the Middle East. He had met his wife while on holiday in Los Angeles through a mutual friend and they had four children.

Flicking through the remaining sheets, Andy shook his head as he took in just how much detail SIS had put into making their undercover aliases - especially into their backgrounds. Provenza would have a field day if he had of been able to read it.

Hearing the bedroom door creep open, Andy's eyes glanced up from the paper to look at the woman who intoxicated his thoughts.

Her dress had been made of the finest craftsmanship. The crimson chiffon danced across the floor, exposing the pointy toe of Sharon's newly acquired Louboutins. Her porcelain arms had been left bare down to her hand, where a gold Cartier love bracelet adorned her wrist. In that moment, Andy could have mistook her for an international diplomat or the wife of a ruling President. The image was already engraved in his memory for eternity.

Andy swallowed deeply. This really wasn't going to be easy for the cards had been played in his favor tonight, and pretending to be Sharon's husband was a task he would gladly take in a heart beat.

"Have you read our background file yet?" Sharon's words brought Andy's mind back to the present, forcing his eyes to stop lingering over her. He lifted the manila folder from his lap and pulled out the first sheet. "Do you think anyone's going to believe that I'm the one with the money?" He asked, raising his eyebrow as his eyes danced across the crisp, white page. Sharon could easily pull off the old money persona, he doubted that he could.

As Sharon opened the small red Cartier to retrieve her gold earrings, her eyes lingered over Andy for a moment. "You never know - they could all believe that I only married you for the money" She joked, pursing her lips as she secured her left earring, then the right. Andy chuckled to himself as he stood from the golden fabric single seater, dropping the folder down onto the coffee table as he headed towards Sharon, standing next to the patio windows that overlooked the garden. "You mean you didn't marry me for my devilish looks?" He asked, playfully pouting his lips as he lowered his head slightly, earning an equally playful slap on the arm from Sharon.

Hearing a knock at the door, Sharon set off across the room as Andy rubbed his hand up and down the arm. "Well, I sure didn't marry you for your bedside manner anyway, Sharon" He wittily remarked, his eyes trailing after her. If he still drank, then now would be the time to pop open the champagne and raise a glass to whatever twist of fate had let him come undercover as Sharon's husband. Rolling her eyes to the highest heavens, Sharon reached out to open the door to their suite, revealing Amy dressed in the typical uniform of a Beverly Hills Hotel employee.

Amy was at a lost for words when her eyes locked with the Captain's appearance. It was no secret that her commanding officer was a well dressed, fashion conscious woman...but that dress was out of this world. "Ma'am, I'm here to change the towels" Amy revealed when she regained the use of her vocal cords, letting Sharon step back into the suite so that she could push her cart into the living room.

She waited until the door shut behind her before she spoke "You two really have got some set up here" Amy whistled low, turning around on the spot as she took a full three sixty view of the magnificent room. "Well, it is nice to see how the other half live" Andy confessed as he buried his hands into the pockets of his dark Armani dress pants, earning a glare from Sharon for creasing the material. "You can say that again, Lieutenant" Amy agreed, pushing back the cover that rest over her cart to retrieve the silver briefcase. "Taylor wants you both to wear a wire and we need eyes on all the guests you meet tonight" She revealed, knowing that neither of them expected her to be here for a purely recreational visit.

Sharon nodded her head as she look through the contents of the brief case, two separate wires, each topped off with a miniature lens to give a visual for the officers camped out in the surveillance van. "Andy turn around" Sharon quipped, waiting for the man to turn around before she attempted to adjust her dress enough to camouflage the wire. "Can I look yet?" He called over his shoulder, covering his eyes with his hand for added affect. "I guess you can then" Sharon replied, placing her hands on her hip as Amy handed the second wire over to Andy before returning her attention to the woman beside her.

"You look amazing, Captain" She beamed, complimenting the woman as she took a closer look at the delicate material of the dress. "I'll have to borrow it some time" Amy's comment earned her a laugh from Sharon. "You and me both" The older woman revealed, wishing that she only had somewhere in her real life to wear such a magnificent gown. Alas, the lifestyle of a middle age LAPD Captain was not one of midnight balls and romantic, spontaneous getaways to far off lands.

Checking the time on his Rolex, Andy stepped towards the room, his hand coming to rest on the bare skin of Sharon's upper arm. "Shall we get going?" He asked her, waiting for her to check the time on the over head clock before she nodded. "I'll let you both head out first" Amy decided, knowing that Provenza and Tao would have a time of it working on surveillance tonight. Even a blind man could see that Flynn could hardly keep his eyes off the Captain - even more so that usual.

Stopping at the double doors of their suite, Sharon stopped mid-step, her action causing Andy to quickly follow. As he came to a stop, Sharon slipped her right hand through his arm, letting her hand rest against his forearm, her fingers curling around the luxurious material of his blazer. It wasn't an uncommon action for them, they often walked arm in arm after their dinners or trips to the cinema, yet this felt different. "Everything's gonna be okay, I promise" Andy reassured her, using his free hand to stroke his thumb over her soft knuckles before he opened the door, guiding her out into the hallway.

The perks of having their suite in the ground floor meant that the walk to the ballroom was a short one, lasting no more than a minute. Spotting the board at the front of the room, Andy lowered his head with a snigger. "Here was me thinking that you were the organised one, aren't we all adult enough to decide where we sit?" He asked, his eyes examining the flow diagram that was mounted on the velvet material of the bulletin board that was propped up on an easel. "Now, now dear" Sharon warned him in a whisper, though her voice carried some seriousness to it. They had to act as though this was all perfectly normal for them, and she could only hope that Andy could remember that.

Her eyes caught sight of a woman watching them as she lingered only a few meters away from them. Squeezing Andy's arm, Sharon alerted him to their watcher. The ebony haired woman was dressed in a floor length emerald gown, her thick curls left loose around her shoulders as a string of pearls, a family heirloom, adorned her short, thin neck. Without a moment's notice, the woman had appeared in front of them, the man who had been standing beside her was now hovering in the shadows of his outspoken wife.

"I don't believe we've ever met, I'm Scarlett, and this is my husband, Rhett." She introduced them both as she held her hand out for them to shake, her eyes taking in the sight of Sharon, then Andy. Scarlett was so sure that she knew everyone on the guest list, and it was unusual for her to run into anyone at these events that she hadn't already met before at least once in her life. Scarlett wasn't the sort of woman to ever forget a face, or even a name for that matter. Yet, she had never even seen the two people in front of her once in her life.

"Sharon Flynn, this is husband Andy" Sharon spoke, her hand slipping off Andy's arm as she shook hands with Scarlett, then Rhett before stepping back to let Andy move forward. The name slipped off Sharon's lips as naturally as the breeze through the wind, in fact, it caught her slightly off guard. It wasn't as though she had practiced saying the name over and over again in front of her vanity mirror as she put on her makeup only half an hour earlier. She could only imagine Provenza choking on his coffee at the sound of the name leaving her lips.

Scarlett seemed satisfied with their name, smiling at each of them as she shook their hands. The husband didn't seem so convinced "Flynn - I don't believe I've ever heard anyone by the name of Flynn in the Oil Industry" He frowned, deep in thought as he tried to rattle his brain for any trace of the unusual surname. He was certain that he would have remembered it if he had heard it before.

"Our Oil is primarily in Europe and the Middle East" Sharon recalled the information from her case file, confident that SIS had prepared them for any possible questions that could come their way. Andy let out of a breath of relief, glad that at least one of them had properly read through their background file. "We're considering investing domestically" Andy added, his words did enough to qualm the other man's curiosity. "That would explain it" Rhett agreed, nodding his head as he brought his whiskey to his lips.

Scarlet glanced over the seating arrangement before she beamed a dazzling, pearly white smile at the other couple. "You're at our table, imagine that. Oh, Sharon, you simply must tell me where you got your dress!" She insisted, reaching out to take the older woman's hand to lead her across the ballroom and towards their round table in the center of the room.

Rhett shook his head at his wife's behavior. "You'll have to excuse Scarlett, she just seems to soak up the atmosphere at these sort of things" He explained, knowing that his wife relished in any chance to talk about something other than the oil business, and usually found her only recluse in the wives or partners of the male members of the Conference, the women who personally owned stakes in oil only came to do business, often darting out of Scarlett's sight as soon as the woman set eyes on them.

Andy smiled at the other man "Don't worry about it, Sharon could use a friendly face. This is our first time ever coming to one of these" He lied, following the man around the other tables as they followed the ladies towards their table.

He could only hope that Rhett didn't question him about their oil portfolio, because then Andy would end up relying on Sharon to answer everything. As soon as they got back to their suite, he was going to read each syllable of that file; that was if he didn't get distracted by Sharon.


	3. Chapter 3

Mr and Mrs Flynn - Chapter 3

Trays of cocktails floated towards them through the twilight of the crowded room, the band in full swing to the enjoyment of many of the banquet's guests.

"How did you and your husband meet?" Scarlett asked curiously, her second glass of Moët pressed between her fingertips. Rhett rolled his eyes as he chuckled to himself while he leaned back on his chair. He could have swore that his wife fancied herself to be a journalist, playing twenty questions with everyone she met.

Sharon's eyes met Andy's, alone in space, contemplating the spirals of lies they had to tell.

"We met through a mutual fiend" Sharon revealed, knowing it was best to keep it simple. After all, it was the truth. Jack had been the one to introduce them to each other a year before she was transferred to F.I.D. "He was holding a party and we just - hit it off" Andy added, his mind had slipped back to the first night that he had met Sharon. He had been invited to their house - a contemporary townhouse in Downtown Los Angeles - to celebrate Jack's promotion to 'partner' in his law firm.

Andy had believed that Sharon was set to lead the comfortable life of a trophy wife, like so many other women before her. Silent on the arm of her husband and brought out at social gatherings to add to the persona of the public figure that was her husband.

That all changed when he met her.

Sharon couldn't have been further from what he had expected. Sharp witted. Intelligent. A beauty of a bygone era.

Jack was already of the slippery slope then; Emily was only four and Sharon was six months pregnant with Ricky at the time, glowing with maternity.

Scarlett's voice brought him back to reality. "Was it love at first sight?" She quizzed as she leaned forward, her elbows rested on the table. Her romantic nature had given her a heighten sensitivity to such tales.

"Absolutely"

Andy's answer had caught Sharon off guard, to the extent that the beaming smile had quickly dropped from her face, her mask began to slip. His answer had sounded truthfully, meaningful and straight from the heart, yet filled with a sweet bitterness of regret.

Had it been love at first sight?

Had Andy's feelings for her developed from that night? Andy had been a regular at their house for almost five years. He had been Jack's drinking buddy, he stayed for family barbecues, Jack's parties and even Ricky's christening dinner.

When Jack had left, so had Andy.

By the time Sharon was promoted to 'Captain' and appointed head of F.I.D. their relationship had seemed to have surpassed the point of no return.

Had her separation from Jack overshadow another loss? Had she been so blind as to never have noticed the man on the other side of the table stare at her with such devotion and affection, that it could have made even Medusa's heart flutter?

A sense of disbursing clarity washed over Sharon's body.

After all this time?

She was brought back to reality by Scarlett's enthusiastic cry, "Oh Rhett! You have to dance with me!" She insisted, having already abandoned her clutch bag on the table, and grabbed her husband's hand to lead him towards a gap in the crowded ballroom floor.

This was all too much for Sharon to comprehend.

"I think... I'm going to head up to the suite" Sharon announced, having stood from her set with her clutch and shawl in one hand, a newly filled glass of Chardonnay in the other. Andy followed her lead, but froze on the spot when she raised her hand in protest. "Please Andy" She pleaded with a shake of her head, her eyes fixed on the floor as she made a quick exit from the room.

 

Sharon's Manolo Blanik's had been abandoned at the door. Her jewellery was left dotted throughout the hotel room; her diamond earrings on the coffee table, her sterling silver cuff on the bar next to a forgotten glass of champagne and her cushion cut diamond engagement ring rested on top of her copy of the conference programme.

When Andy found her, she was fast asleep on the sofa, covered by a cotton blanket that wrapped around her like comforting arms. He knew he should have woke her up, her back wouldn't thank her tomorrow if she spent the night of the sofa, yet he couldn't bring himself to wake her up, to bring her out of her dream like state. Even though his own back would never thank him for it, he leaned down and wrapped one arm under her knees, the other locked around her shoulder as he lifted both her and the blanket from the sofa.

Sharon was exhausted; he knew that just from looking at her. The last weeks and months had taken its toll on her, and she had even admitted that she had yet to have a full night of sleep since Stroh disappeared. She was terrified of him coming back in the dark of the night. Every crack and echo in the darkness woke her with fear.

This wasn't how Andy had imagined carrying Sharon over the threshold, but in that moment he didn't care. Bringing her into the bedroom, he placed her down on the right side of the bed, nearest the window, draping the blanket over her as though she was some goddess of a bygone era, with a face to launch a thousand ships.

He was about to leave when her hand found his.

"Don't go" She mumbled in a half conscious state, her eyelashes fluttered as she curled up under the blanket, her hand dropping from his as the land of dreams called her back into a peaceful slumber. Discarding his jacket onto the chair nearest the bed, he kicked his shoes off and abandoned them at the foot of the bed before laying down on top of the covers.

He was like a moth drawn to a flame; no amount of willpower could have stopped him from falling in love with the woman before him.

He would think of that tomorrow, for tonight, he would enjoy the peace and silence, letting sleep take him as well as its willing victim.

 

The first thing Sharon noticed when she woke up that morning was that she couldn't move. Her back was pressed against his chest, his arm locked over her waist with her fingers interlinked through his. She was still wrapped in the blanket while Andy still had his suit on from the night before. Sighing heavily, she let her head rest back against his chest as she shut her eyes for a moment, the conversation from the night before was still running through her head.

Had he been acting, or were his words sincere and from the heart?

A shiver ran down her spine when he groaned against her neck as daybreak called him from his sleep. Like a child, Sharon shut her eyes and tried to remain as still as possible; masquerading as a sleeping beauty in the hope of avoiding any awkwardness. His arms tightened around her waist as he acted on instinct only, his nose buried in her hair; as though his body had adapted itself to hers, as though they spent each night and morning together.

Andy had never meant to take a hold of her during his sleep. In fact, he had deliberately slept facing the other way, but at some stage during the night, they had ended up in the middle of the King sized bed.

Part of him wanted to cherish the moment forever; well aware that this could be the only time in his life that he would have the joy of waking up with Sharon. The other part of him feared what her reaction would be if she woke to find them intertwined like that.

He couldn't stay; yet he couldn't bring himself to leave.

He gave her hand a light squeeze and dropped a kiss against her hair before he let his fingers slip out of her loose hold as he moved over in the bed, his eyes staying on her as he left her to sleep; as though he was some teenage Romeo slipping out of his girlfriend's bed at daybreak for fear of her parents discovering them.

Their elegant dance around the line between 'just friends' and 'something more' had now expanded to them sneaking around each other.

Shaking his head, Andy grabbed a change of clothes from his suitcase and moved towards the bathroom to have a shower, locking the door behind him. At the sound of the lock, Sharon raised her head from the pillow, her eyes burning into the door.

Why on earth had Taylor sent them on this assignment?

Was fortune trying to make them face their feelings for one another?

Had life had enough of watching them walk away from each other time after time?

By the time that Andy reappeared from the bathroom, freshly shaven and with a towel clutched in his hand as he tried to dry off his hair, Sharon was seated at the vanity table. She caught sight of his reflection in the mirror before her and they exchanged a look of mutual recognition - as if both of them knew that the other had truly been awake that morning, pretending to sleep in a desperate bid to make the daydream a reality.

"Good morning" He greeted as he dropped the towel into the laundry basket, his eyes flickered over to her. His royal blue tie would go well with her choice of dress. Appearances were everything. "Morning" She returned his greeting before her attention returned back to the velvet jewellery box in her hand, the purple diamond pressed against the velvet insert. Curious about the contents, Andy made his way to the vanity and came to a stop behind her. "That's rather a beauty" He commented as while he looked over her shoulder, it looked as though it had been destined to hang around her slender neck, to rest against her pale skin like her own set of Crown Jewels. "An expensive beauty" He added a moment later, not wanting to imagine how much the rock must have cost, or at least, how much it had cost to rent for the conference. Andy watched as Sharon fiddled with the clasp before he leaned forward to take it from her to bring both ends of the chain around her neck, he let her lift her hair out of his way before he brought the two ends together and fastened the clasp to allow the pearl cut diamond to rest above the sweetheart neckline of her dress.

His hands came to rest on her shoulders as he looked at her through the vanity mirror. Sharon's breath quickened for a moment before she brought her hand up to cover his, a smile graced her features as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you" She acknowledged his action with a nod of her head. As she stood from her seat, she let out a chuckle at the sight of his tie; the same shade of regal sapphire blue as her silk dress. Clearly their clothes had been packed with colour coordination in mind. "We should head down for breakfast" Andy suggested, his words reminding them both of the real reason that they were at the upmarket Beverly Hills Hotel.

This wasn't some love affair in the first stages; it was an undercover assignment to gather information on two separate homicides.

"I can already here the caffeine calling my name" Sharon joked as she fiddled with her engagement ring, still not adjusted to the ring that could only be described as a 'rock'. Harry Winston; cushion square cut diamond and over three carats. She had clearly went into the wrong profession. Andy shook his head, well aware that by this stage in the day, Sharon would usually have already had a mug of coffee and a cup of tea. "Well, I'm sure we'll find you some coffee somewhere in the building" He assured her with a side glance towards her as he held the suite door open for her.

Breakfast was a formal affair.

Two dozen tables were spotted throughout the ballroom; each prepared with the finest Ivory table clothes, arrangements of white roses stood in crystal cases in the centre of the tables while the finest Royal Albert tea sets were being used to serve morning tea.

"There's another seating plan" Andy muttered, unsure as to why there had to be such strict procedure throughout the conference. Could a man not have the liberty of choosing his own seat? "I'm sure it's just to make us network with each other" Sharon suggested, her left hand wrapped around his arm as they stood in front of the easel, once again in search of their names.

By the time they had reached their table of eight, they were the last of their group to arrive. "Sharon Flynn" She introduced herself as she shook the hand of the man who sat on her right side, while Andy occupied her left. She ignored the sudden uncomfortable feeling that washed over her as the man looked her up and down with elevator eyes that lingered a little longer than usual on her jewellery before he shook her hand. "Sebastian" He nodded his head at her before the woman at his side tapped his shoulder to show him something at the front of the room.

"He's strangely interested in your jewellery" Andy noted in a hushed tone, his hand came to rest protectively on her waist, his hand curled around her as he leaned forward to speak to her, his eyes still fixed on the man at her other side. "Andy Flynn" He introduced himself to the man when he turned around to face them again, choosing not to shake the man's hand before he introduced himself to the others at the table.

Sharon poured her green tea into her vintage rose tea cup while attempting to appear somewhat interested in the conversation that Andy was having with the man on his other side; something about increasing the price of shares. Her attention was focused on trying to overhear the conversation of the man beside her. There was something fishy about him; she had a gut feeling about him. She would have to ask Amy to run a background check on him when the team arrive in the afternoon.

She was forced out of her train of thought as she heard Andy say her name. "Sharon, Robert here knew one of those poor couples that was killed a few weeks back" He revealed, his eyes widened as he looked at his 'wife', aware that they may have finally caught their break. "Oh it was a horrible affair" Robert remarked with a shake of his head while his wife leaned forward on her seat to look at Sharon and Andy. "They had been to the annual corporation ball just the night before, everyone had seen them. I always wondered who on earth would want to kill them - they were lovely people" His wife, Allison, added between sips of her breakfast juice. Neither appeared to be overly emotional about the situation, and Sharon could have swore that they were gossip central - exactly what they needed.

"Did they ever find Marcissa necklace?" Allison wondered aloud as she twirled her teaspoon around the neck of her teacup, her eyes focused on something in the distance. "I'm sorry, her what?" Andy asked, his hand clasped around Sharon's fingers as he turned his attention to the younger blonde woman. "Oh, Marcissa had this phenomenal ruby and diamond cluster necklace. Harry Winston, wasn't it Robert?" She asked, waiting for her husband to nod his head in agreement before she continued her story. "Well, they can't find it anywhere, and of course, no one knows for sure if she had been wearing it when she was killed, but she had the necklace on at the ball, and they were found in the same clothes as they had been wearing the night before they were found" She revealed, her hands moved around anxiously as she retold the story that she had discovered through a whispered conversation the night before.

A comfortable silence fell over the two couples. Sharon's eyes met Andy's as her free hand clasped over the diamond around her neck, as though fearful that it would be snatched from around her neck. Andy glanced over her shoulder at the man beside her, taking a moment to get a better look at him as the man typed on his iPhone screen.

"Why don't we all have lunch together after the morning keynote?" Allison suggested, glad to have finally found someone who didn't look down their nose at her. Being the much younger wife of a twice divorced businessman with an impressive portfolio of oil developments was never an easy task; especially with her middle class upbringing. Sharon enthusiastically nodded her head and smiled at the woman. "We would love that" She agreed, confident that their new companions would be necessary allies if they hoped to discover any new information that could be used to track down the identity of their killer.

Andy couldn't help but wonder if they had taken on more than they could chew.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was published on ff.net several months ago, but it was only today that I realised that I had forgotten to update it here.

**Mr and Mrs Flynn ~ Chapter 4 ~ Almost In Love**

Lunch had called for yet another change of attire.

"Andy! Will you get the door?" Sharon called, hearing the impatient knock from the door of their suite as it echoed through the rooms. Whoever their unannounced guest was, Sharon had no doubt that they wouldn't have appreciated it if she greeted them at the door in nothing more than her Dita Von Tesse lingerie.

As her partner made his way to the double doors, Sharon retrieved a simple emerald DVF wrap dress from her suitcase, slipping into it as she heard the overly enthusiastic voice of her female colleague as it bounced through the extravagant suite. "So, where's the wife?" Amy asked, practically spinning around the room as she eagerly took in the sight of the exquisite apartment that her elder team members had the pleasure of calling their temporary home. At Amy's innocent attempt at teasing, she was rewarded with a groan and a complimenting eye roll from the eldest member of their ensemble."For the love of God, Sykes, they're not married!" Provenza reprimanded her as though she was a child of no more than six years of age. He ignored his partner as he stepped further into the room, coming to rest at the marble countertop of their private bar.

"Well, it sure is nice to see how the other half live - heck, I would even have pretended to be her husband if it meant I could stay in a place like this" Provenza announced, his eyes scanning over the contents their bar; rows of Moet bottles, a dozen varieties of red wine and a healthy amount of whiskey. "Sorry old man, but everyone would mistake you for her father" Andy disagreed, stirring the pot as he reached forward to lift the older man's fingers off the bottle of Jack Daniels.

Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Provenza; before he could inflict his wrath on his younger counterpart, a familiar voice entered the air like a welcomed summer breeze. "I thought I heard you, Lieutenant" Sharon greeted as she stepped into the room, towering against the doorframe in her trusty Jimmy Choos.

"You look...amazing, Captain" Amy remarked, taking in the sophisticated appearance of her commander in chief. In that moment, she could have mistaken the woman for someone of a higher authority; the confidence to which she walked into the room was admirable, the way she held herself was commendable, playing to the facade that she belonged to a higher social status than that to which she was born into. Sharon suited the comfortable lifestyle, though Amy couldn't help but pounder over if such a mood came from the high classed fashion, or the close proximity she currently had to one grey haired Lieutenant.

A blind man could see the devotion that the couple had to one another.

Masquerading as the spouse of the person to whom you were falling head over heels for couldn't be easy for one's emotions.

"Thank you, Amy" Sharon acknowledged the woman with a nod of her head and a brief smile. Catching sight of her reflection from the antique mirror that hung above the mantelpiece, a lightbulb went off in Sharon's head. Reaching up, her cold fingertips pressed against the cluster of diamonds that adorned her neckline. "Was there a necklace found with the female victim?" Sharon inquired, her mind racing back to the conversation they had with the couple at breakfast. Amy shook her head in disagreement, "Not to our knowledge, unless it came off during the struggle" She suggested, unaware of the type of piece that her leader was alluding to.

Turning to face the woman, Sharon moved towards the team, "It wasn't just any necklace, Amy, we're talking about a ruby and diamond clustered necklace by Harry Winston, that would fetch - even in the black market - several million dollars" Sharon revealed, her fingertips pressed against the square cut diamond that sat against her décolleté on its platinum chain.

"Was it a selective robbery?" Provenza suggested from his position behind the bar, where he had already retrieved several bottles of vintage whiskey, momentarily displaying them on the marble countertop. "See what you can find out about the necklace, and check if our previous victims owned any similar pieces of high value jewellery - focus on that for now" Sharon ordered, her phone clicking under her fingertips as she emailed the details to her subordinate officer.

Glancing at at the time, Sharon wondered how the day had already ran away from them.

"I'm afraid we need to go, we have a lunch date to attend" Sharon announced, not catching her own turn of phrase as she clasped her fingers around her clutch bag, letting Andy's hand guide her towards the door as it rested against the small of her back. "You guys can show yourselves out when you're finished" Andy called over his shoulder, mindful that he would have to check the minibar once he got back. Though, he was fairly certain that Provenza had hidden a bottle of Jameson under his jacket - may as well ring up a charge at the expense of the LAPD.

* * *

Their lunch was largely uneventful.

Andy nodded along like a dog to the words of their male companion; he had went into completely the wrong profession. How different would his life have been if he had the lifestyle of the couple they were masquerading as? He could have afforded to send his kids to the best colleges in the country, wined and dined Sharon until his heart was content and offer them all some financial stability and confidence. In another life, perhaps all of that could have been a reality.

"Did they have a family?" Sharon asked curiously, wishing she had of paid more attention to the victims files during their journey over to the hotel the previous morning. "Oh no, it was rather sad really," Scarlett gave a pregnant pause, pressing her lips together before continuing, "They tried for a couple of years I think but it just never happened" She revealed with a heavy hearted sigh, folding her napkin on her lap as she avoided eye contact with Sharon.

Sometimes, Sharon forgot how fortunate she was to have a family of her own. Yes, her marriage had been rocky at the best of times; she had practically been a single mother, but she had three beautiful children, having inherited a third one by a series of unfortunate events. She was brought back to reality when Andy squeezed her hand and offered to order her a glass of chardonnay

* * *

Dinner was spent in the privacy of their hotel room; neither was fluent enough in the commerce of oil and gas to attempt to hold up a conversation on the growing problems on the stock exchange.

Sharon had curled herself up on the leather sofa, her legs neatly tucked under her as she flicked through the case files over a healthy serving of Moet. "Do you really think they were killed for their jewellery?" Andy thought aloud from his reclined position on the lounge chair opposite Sharon, his eyes caught in the perplexing shine of the diamond that adorned her slender neck. "The women may have been targeted, both were known for wearing extravagant jewels - though their husbands no doubt had impressive collections of their own. The necklaces alone would be worth several million, and that's before whatever else the couple was wearing - watches, rings, bracelets..." Sharon contemplated, abandoning the case files on the coffee table as she lifted herself up from the sofa. At a time in her life, when Jack had been on a once steady path towards a partnership at his law firm, Sharon had daydreamed of being gifted with little blue boxes tied up with ivory silk bows, hardsided red boxes adorned with Cartier's logo and a small diamond tennis bracelet, like the one that had once adorned her mother's wrist. Now, she could hardly stand to wear such ostentatious pieces. Innocent men and women had been killed for such diamonds; these were blood diamonds. Undoing the clasp of her necklace, she allowed the chain to fall into the palm of her hand as she headed towards the master bedroom in search of its velvet box.

"The women could have been followed, and the attacker could have been discovered by their respective husbands" She contemplated, her eyes fixated on the diamond as it caught the light, releasing a spectre of colours in a light show for her own entertainment.

Andy refused to let himself contemplate the fact that such an attack was likely to occur again, and that the pair of them were in direct line of fire. He would ever be able to forgive himself if something happened to her on his watch. "Sharon" He called, his voice stopping Sharon in her tracks, her fingertips pressing against the crystal glass of her champagne flute.

He could hardly make out her softened features in the dim light of the doorway.

Standing from his seat, Andy kept his eyes fixed on her as though she might disappear if he took his eyes of her for even a moment. "Sharon - if anything happened to you, and it was all my fault - if I wasn't able to protect you - I don't know what I would ever do" He confessed, feeling as though he was taking his heart out of his chest and laying it at her feet.

For all of her adult life, Sharon had been the protector.

She had shielded her children against the horrors of their father's dark side, bringing Rusty back from the brink and showing him that all mothers weren't like Sharon Beck. She had protected him again from Stroh, willing to risk her own health to keep them safe. Never had she been the one with protector; not since she was nothing more than the simple Sharon O'Dwyer, the innocent and pure hearted being she had been before Jack walked into her life like a wrecking ball.

"I don't need protecting Andy" Sharon insisted, shaking her head as though she was trying to will the unshed tears to disappear. Her footsteps fell silently against the carpet as she took the short journey across the room, standing toe to toe with him. A flicker of a smile played on her soft lips as her hand reached up to cup his cheek. She wondered if he had any idea of much he meant to her, how much his friendship meant to her. "I don't need you for that" She assured him, her crimson coated lips pressed against the cold skin of his unshaven cheek, "Goodnight" She bid him farewell, her eyes unable to meet his as she walked away, the absence of her touch hit him like a ton of bricks.

They were friends - perhaps even something closer, nearer and more intimate than that.

They were almost something more - they had almost crossed the line between friendship and love.

They were almost in love.


End file.
